Life-preserver.



W. G. RICHARDSON.

LIFE PRESERVER.

- APPLIOATION FILED MAY 18, 19-12.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

WELLINGTON G. RICHARDSON, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

LIFE-PBESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

Application filed May 18, 1912. Serial No. 698,224.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WELLINGTON G. RICHARDSON, a citizen of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, residing at Cam bridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life- Preservers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life preservers and particularly to that type embodying inflatable elements capable of being simultaneously or independently inflated. The primary object of my device is to provide a life preserver which may be easily and quickly applied to the wearer, having the inflatable members thereof so proportioned that when the person Wearing the same takes to the water, he will be forced by the buoyancy of the back element into proper position for swimmingwith the head well above the water.

It is further contemplated that the several sectionsor inflated elements above mentioned shall be hingedly connected, not only permitting them to be more easily made but materially adding to their strength as well as eliminating likelihood of wearing out the connecting portions.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to t e following description and to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view showing my device in position for use. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof my invention alone. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the clamp member used in conjunction with my invention.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Specificially describing my device and referring to the drawings, 1 designates a ring-shaped neck member which is adapted to be inserted over the head of the wearer through the opening 2 of the same.

It will be understood that my device is to be made of any desirable material capable of being inflated and for this purpose I provide a short tube 3 in the ring-shaped element 1, said tube having a valve therein adapted to automatically close when the device has been inflated in the usual manner by blowing into said tube.

resent Hingedly connected. at one side of the neck member 1 are provided preferably a pair of front members or pouches 4 interiorly communicating with said neck memher at points 5. The pouches 4 are preferably provided therebetween with the web bing 6, the material of which extends over the pouches in a convenient manner and at opposite sides of the same are secured the buckles 7. On the opposite side of the neck member 1 is also hingedly connected the back element 8 and, as will be hereinafter more fully explained, it is preferable that the back pouch 8 be so proportioned as to have about twice the buoyancy when infiated as that of the combined front pouches 4. In like manner to the latter, the back pouch 8 interiorly communicates with the neck member 1 at the point 9 and at opposite sides thereof is provided a webbin 10 having the strap members 11 secured to the edge portions thereof. A crotch stra 12 is also secured to the lower portion 0 the back pouch 8 and when in operative position,.is connected with the buckle 13 on thelower portion of thewebbing 6 between the front pouch members 4.

There are a number of advantages in my special construction of life preserver which may not only 'be used for the purposes of devices of this nature but may also be very nicely adapted as a means for teaching persons the art of swimming. By the special construction also, the neck member 1 is adapted to hold the mouth of the wearer above the surface of the water.

As will be inferred when it is desired to use the device as a. life preserver, it is inflated by blowing into the tube 3 until the pouches and neck member have been sufiiciently distended, the device having firstbeen secured in position on the wearer, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the wearer jumps into the water, the buoyancy of the back pouch being greater than that of the front pouches, will force the person into proper position for swimming, the back being well held up in an advantageous manner. As thusdescribed, the device is constituted for non-swimmers but where it is desired for other uses, such as by persons well skilled in the art of swimming, it may be only desired to inflate the back ouch 8, and the ring member 1, under suc conditions the operator will. close the clamping member 14 which is positioned over the connecting portion of the front pouches t with the ring member 1. In this manner, the openings 5 are tightly closed andthe air will only inflate the ring member 1 and the back pouch 8. Under other conditions, it may also be desired to inflate only the front pouches and the ring member and I have therefore provided a clamp member 14 for the back pouch which may be closed, as described in reference to the member 14:. Thus, at the will of the operator, all of the inflated elements may be distended or filled with air by blowing into the tube 8 or they may be independently inflated by operating the clamping members.

Where the device is in constant use, as in teaching persons to swim, the hinged connection of the several elements prevents the same from wearing or breaking atthe points and when thelife preserver is manufactured, this form of connection permits the same to be easily made.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the class described comprising a ring-shaped neck member, a front pouch hingedly connected thereto at one side, a back pouch hingedly connected to the neck member at the other side, means for inflating said neck member and pouches, and clamping members disposed at the points of connection of the pouches with the neck member, whereby the front or back pouch may be retained in deflated condition.

2. A life preserver comprising a circular neck member, a pair of front members hingedly connected to the neck member, a back member hingedly connected to the neck member opposite to the front member aforesaid, means for inflating the members, said back member having greater buoyancy than the front members when inflated, and means whereby said members may be held in operative position.

3. A life preserver comprising a hollow ring-shaped neck member, front and back pouches hingedly connected to the neck member, means for inflating the ring memher and pouches, the back )ouch having greater buoyancy than the ront pouches when inflated, whereby the wearer may be held in swimming position, and strapand buckle members adapted to connect the front and back pouches to hold the life preserve]- in position on the wearer.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WELLlNGTON G. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

HUGH Ronnnn, HELEN L. HIGGINS. 

